PDP confirms death of Bayelsa Deputy Gov, Ewhrudjakpo, Bayelsa Govt silent

Bayelsa was thrown into deep shock on Thursday after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officially confirmed the death of the state’s Deputy Governor, Lawrence Oboraw-Harievwo Ewhrudjakpo.

Tension had already gripped the state earlier in the day when reports emerged that the deputy governor suddenly collapsed in his office in Yenagoa and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre. Despite attempts by medical personnel to stabilise him in the Intensive Care Unit, Ewhrudjakpo was pronounced dead later in the day, a development that has sent waves of grief across the state and the political space.

Although the Bayelsa State government is yet to issue a formal statement, the PDP, in its reaction signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the news as devastating. The Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee noted that the late deputy governor was not just a loyal party man but a politician whose life was anchored on integrity, conviction, and strength of character. The party said his passing had thrown the entire PDP family, especially members in Bayelsa State, into mourning, praying for God’s comfort for the people of the state over what it called a painful and irreparable loss.

Ewhrudjakpo, who served as deputy governor under Governor Douye Diri from 2020 until his death, had first emerged as Diri’s running mate in the November 2019 governorship election and was returned alongside the governor for a second term in 2023. In recent months, however, political tensions had surrounded his position. His absence during Governor Diri’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October had raised speculations, even as the governor insisted he would not force his deputy to follow him to the ruling party. Before his passing, Ewhrudjakpo had also approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop an alleged move by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to impeach him for remaining in the PDP.

His death at a time of heightened political transition in the state has further deepened the grief and uncertainty, marking the end of a career defined by loyalty, calmness under pressure, and a reputation for principled politics.